Letter-box-closure operator



G. E. BENTON. LETTER BOX CLOSURE 0PERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12, 1920.

Patented June 8, 1 920.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LETTER-BOX-CLOSURE OPERATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 8, 1920.

Application filed January 12, 1920. Serial No. 350,811.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE E. BENTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Hampton, in the county of Suffolk and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Letter-Box-Closure Operator, of which the following is a specification. 1

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in closure operators, and it is the primary object of the invention to provide novel means to be employed in connection with deposit and collection receptacles, for operating the closures thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide means including levers and a foot treadle whereby a closure may be moved to its open position due to movement of the levers connected thereto, by pressure exerted on the foot treadle by a person depositing letters or the like in the receptacle.

A still further object of the invention is to provide means for automatically returning the closure to its closed position, upon releasing the pressure on the treadle.

With the foregoing and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawing Figure 1 is a front elevational view of a deposit receptacle, constructed in accordance with the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawing in detail,the reference character 5 designates the post or sup porting means for supporting the deposit receptacle 6, which in the present instance is in the form of a letter box, the receptacle being however secured to the post in any suitable or well known manner. I

The upper forward portion of the receptacle 6, is open as at 7 to provide means to permit articles to be deposited therein, and as shown, this opening 7 is normally closed by means of the pivoted closure 8, having pintles 9 formed on its respective ends, which pintles 9 operate in the openings 10 provided in the side walls of the closure 6, to permit the closure 8 to pivot freely between the side walls of the receptacle 6.

This closure 8 includes a relatively long body portion provided with a cut out portion 12 formed adjacent the lower edge thereof and intermediate the width, which cut out portion includes an inclined rear wall 13 forming a camming surface, for purposes to be hereinafter more fully described, the rear portion of the closure 8 being weighted as by means of the weight 14, the weight being disposed in such relation with the closure that the same will cause the closure to normally maintain a closed position.

Extending longitudinally of the post 5, and supported thereon, is an operating rod 15, which extends through the openings 16 provided in the collars 17 which collars are constructed to embrace portions of the post 5, to secure the operating rod 15 to the post against lateral displacement, but at the same time permit free movement of the rod 15 longitudinally of the post 5.

Extending at right angles to the operating rod 15 and disposed at the lower extremity thereof. is a treadle 18, the upper end of said operating rod 15 having connection with the rocking arm 19, which is secured to the under surface of the bottom of the receptacle 6 by means of the bracket 20, for connection therewith.

A closure engaging rod 21 has one of its extremities pivotally connected to the rocking arm 19 as at 22, the opposite end of said rod 21 lying within the cut out portion 12 of the closure 8, so that movement of the closure engaging rod 21 in one direction, causes the closure 8 to move to its open position, the closure engaging rod 21 being however secured within the interior of the receptacle, bymeans of the securing plate 23, which as shown, is provided with a depressed portion to embrace the closure en gaging rod 21.

A coiled spring 24 encircles the upper extremity of the operating rod 15, one end of the coiled spring 24 having engagement with the upper collars 17, the opposite end of said coiled spring engaging the arm 19. It will thus be seen that when pressure is exerted on the treadle 18, the operating rod 15 is moved downwardly to compress the coiled spring 24. It therefore follows that when the pressure on the treadle 18 is relieved, the coiled spring moves the treadle to its normal position, due to the pres ing rod 21 upwardly which movement in turn tilts the closure 8 to move the same to its open position.

Having thus described the invention, what Iijclaim as new is fIn a "receptacle, a supporting ,post, a jpivoted closure for the receptacle, said closure having a depending flange provided with a cut out portion in one surface thereof, and adjacent the lower edge thereof, said out out portion having an inclined surface, an operating rod slidably connected with the post, a pivoted arm having connection with the operating rod, a closure engaging rod'having connection with the pivoted arm, said closure engaging rod having an inclined end adapted to contact with the inclined surface for camming the closure to an open position, and means for returning the operating rod to its normalposition.

In testimony that I claimthe foregoing as my own, I havehereto afiixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE E.-BENTON. WVitnesses-z I p RAYMOND A. SMITH, O'r'ro SIMMONS; 

